Chap. 13. An Expofitionupon the Book oflo,B. Vert, $. withhis praifes. They tinned against him, and he flew them,and when the [word found them they fought God, they creep'd to him and fawn'd uponhim, theycame as with ropes about their necks, confe(flng they were worthy to dy, yet humblybegging for life; and if God would but (heath his fword and fpare them,0 what manner of menwould they be in all holy converfation and , ggodlinefs.! Thus theyflattored God with their xusutb, while their hearts were aot right : they made great thews of repentance and turning to God, but they meant no fach thing, this was their -flattery : neither can the Lord be flattered any other way. And as he cannot be flattered by over-praifing him, fo his perfoncan- not be accepted by over- refpthting him. So then,the meaning of jobin charging his friends with accept- ing the perfonof God, is only this,that he conceived his friends ,fozealous in liftingup the glory of God, that they cared not un- der whattemptations and difadvantages they left himpoor cuan they did not attend the law of love and pity towards him, in con- junEionwith the lawof love and honour towards God. As if he had laid, Tan fee me miferable, andyou know God is ju.f (1 know he is fo toe) Hence you infer, God being jai he would never punifh me thus if I were not unjufl Thus to advance the ri hteoufnefs of God, youfufpett me of wiekednefs : and tomaintain his truth, you charge me with falfenefs of heart and fecret hypocrifie The former isyour duty, but the later is yourfin ; willye thus rejeEt my perfen thatye may accept his ? Hence Obferve, Firft, That to accept perfons in judgment creffeth the rule o f juflice. 'Tis tnjuftice to accept the perfon of God (in the fence ex- plained) how muchmore to accept the perfons of men ? The Apo(tle profeffeth ltrongly (2 Cor. 5.16.) Henceforthknowwe noman after theflefb, yea though we have known Chrift after the fefh, yet now henceforth know we him no more, that is, we do not refpçc`[ him for any flefhay confederation. That was once our er- rour, we expeaed a Chrift inoutward pomp and worldly fplen- dor, we looked for a Chrift in robes ofroyalty, andin the maje- (tick (fate of earthly Princes, we were offended at his.meannefs and poverty, becaufewe faw no form or .beauty in him ; but we have,learned to think, and judge otherwife ofChrill. Now, If it be a fin,or betides our duty)to refpeEi Chrift after theflefh, C c c z' how 379 a
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